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South Dakota people studying spotted skunks #6792287
03/04/20 11:21 PM
03/04/20 11:21 PM
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 6,325
se South Dakota
NonPCfed Offline OP
trapper
NonPCfed  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 6,325
se South Dakota
Where did all those old civet cats go...?

About a year ago (or so) there was a thread on here talking about spotted skunks in general and how they've declined in the Great Plains over time. My dad used to talk about "civet cats" on their farm about 60 miles sw of Sioux Falls but I've never seen a spotted skunk in any condition through the lower Big Sioux to James River drainages. I know Law Dog has caught a few more towards the Missouri. Anyway, it appears that South Dakota State U wildlife people and SD GF&P are teaming up to get more data on the little pepes in the state. From last year's tman thread, I guess its about time...

South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks and South Dakota State University are looking for sightings of EASTERN SPOTTED SKUNKS.
» The ecology, status, and distribution of spotted skunks (a.k.a. polecat, civet cat) in South Dakota are not well known.
» Please help us understand the status of the species in the state.
» Report any past or present locations from sightings, roadkills, game cameras, or traps.

WAYS TO REPORT
» Upload your information to the South Dakota Spotted Skunks project at: inaturalist.org/projects/south-dakota-spottedskunks,
or use the iNaturalist mobile app.
» Email photographs with GPS coordinates (enable location services for photos on your smart phone) to:
southdakotaspottedskunks@ gmail.com.
Location information from trappers will not be shared publicly.

STRIPED SKUNK
Narrow white stripe down the center of the face
Long, fluffy, black tail
Usually two white stripes down the back

EASTERN SPOTTED SKUNK
About the size of a large eastern gray squirrel
Upsidedown triangle on forehead and narrow white stripe beneath the eye
Bushy tail is white underneath and at the tip
Two stripes run diagonal across each hip; a few white spots on the rear end.


"And God said, Let us make man in our image �and let them have dominion �and all the creatures that move along the ground".
Genesis 1:26
Re: South Dakota people studying spotted skunks [Re: NonPCfed] #6792312
03/04/20 11:46 PM
03/04/20 11:46 PM
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,761
Central, SD
Law Dog Offline
trapper
Law Dog  Offline
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,761
Central, SD
I have been working with a few projects looking into the Eastern Spotted Skunks one was out of IA the current one in TX. This is the first time I heard of SD looking into them and not seeing them as just vermin.

I called up to Pierre several years ago looking to see if any efforts were being made to reintroduce them back into their past range in other States. It was like talking to “Dell representative number 301” from India all I got was a big red tape runaround. It was a idea they could not comprehend even, it was like I was speaking German to them. I was floored by the response that I received from 2 different people the were in outer space it seemed like.

After I asked about the idea the response I received was you could only possess 1 of any varmint as a pet? I was like your not understanding what I’m saying here. It never got better the local guy called me and that was about the same reply that I got from him.

I was a big waste of time and aggravating at the same time never called again did not see the point of it. If they want to get hold of me great I’ll help them any way I can I know more then a dozen places a guy could catch some. Not sure why my local Game and Fish people have not put them in contact with me it seems strange.

Last edited by Law Dog; 03/04/20 11:48 PM.

Was born in a Big City Will die in the Country OK with that!

Jerry Herbst
Re: South Dakota people studying spotted skunks [Re: NonPCfed] #6792325
03/05/20 12:04 AM
03/05/20 12:04 AM
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 3,870
Mn
N
nightlife Offline
trapper
nightlife  Offline
trapper
N

Joined: May 2008
Posts: 3,870
Mn
Law dog that would make to much sense and also cost way less money so not going to happen



�Everything in excess! To enjoy the flavor of life, take big bites. Moderation is for monks.�
― Robert A. Heinlein
Re: South Dakota people studying spotted skunks [Re: NonPCfed] #6792336
03/05/20 12:18 AM
03/05/20 12:18 AM
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 6,325
se South Dakota
NonPCfed Offline OP
trapper
NonPCfed  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 6,325
se South Dakota
Law Dog- Consider it done. I'll pm you if I get through on the SDSU side. Grad students tend to be a bit more motivated than permanent state employees who have nothing to gain from it. I love tilting windmills against the bureaucrats...


"And God said, Let us make man in our image �and let them have dominion �and all the creatures that move along the ground".
Genesis 1:26
Re: South Dakota people studying spotted skunks [Re: NonPCfed] #6792339
03/05/20 12:23 AM
03/05/20 12:23 AM
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 168
South Dakota
kjcouchey Online content
trapper
kjcouchey  Online Content
trapper

Joined: May 2013
Posts: 168
South Dakota
I did some trapping For the SDSU ppl for the last 3 years, i believe the same ones on this spotted skunk project, mainly trapping canines for them for a nest predator survey. We trapped some spotted skunks and they got all exicited. They had some biologist out of washington state come down here taking blood samples and such and trapping specificly for them. I believe last year they got 23. I stayed in my lane but talking with them The word was that the out of state biologist believe that the spotted skunk should be on the endangered species list and they were wanting to do a survey to determine if that was the fact on the ground.

Re: South Dakota people studying spotted skunks [Re: NonPCfed] #6792342
03/05/20 12:26 AM
03/05/20 12:26 AM
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 168
South Dakota
kjcouchey Online content
trapper
kjcouchey  Online Content
trapper

Joined: May 2013
Posts: 168
South Dakota
I have the SDSU Grad students info Law Dog if you want it just PM me

Re: South Dakota people studying spotted skunks [Re: kjcouchey] #6792352
03/05/20 12:46 AM
03/05/20 12:46 AM
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,761
Central, SD
Law Dog Offline
trapper
Law Dog  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,761
Central, SD
Originally Posted by kjcouchey
I have the SDSU Grad students info Law Dog if you want it just PM me


Send it no problem it's not the guy from down by Winner is it?


More around then a guy thinks out there they are pretty spooky and love the thicker cover the bigger the mess the more rats and mice the more civets you will see.


Was born in a Big City Will die in the Country OK with that!

Jerry Herbst
Re: South Dakota people studying spotted skunks [Re: NonPCfed] #6792356
03/05/20 12:49 AM
03/05/20 12:49 AM
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 168
South Dakota
kjcouchey Online content
trapper
kjcouchey  Online Content
trapper

Joined: May 2013
Posts: 168
South Dakota
No its a Gal, They are doing the research in Faulk County

Re: South Dakota people studying spotted skunks [Re: NonPCfed] #6792360
03/05/20 12:52 AM
03/05/20 12:52 AM
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,761
Central, SD
Law Dog Offline
trapper
Law Dog  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,761
Central, SD
That will work will see if she has a passion for the little guys like I do. Thanks


Was born in a Big City Will die in the Country OK with that!

Jerry Herbst
Re: South Dakota people studying spotted skunks [Re: NonPCfed] #6792362
03/05/20 12:53 AM
03/05/20 12:53 AM
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 168
South Dakota
kjcouchey Online content
trapper
kjcouchey  Online Content
trapper

Joined: May 2013
Posts: 168
South Dakota
Yup, she was pretty good to deal with younger gal

Re: South Dakota people studying spotted skunks [Re: kjcouchey] #6792365
03/05/20 12:53 AM
03/05/20 12:53 AM
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 86
Sultan , Wa
Jakeland Offline
trapper
Jakeland  Offline
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Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 86
Sultan , Wa
I don’t know how big of a genetic gap is between the eastern spotted and the spotted skunks here in Washington but we have plenty if they ever wanted to transplant

Re: South Dakota people studying spotted skunks [Re: NonPCfed] #6792375
03/05/20 01:18 AM
03/05/20 01:18 AM
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 6,325
se South Dakota
NonPCfed Offline OP
trapper
NonPCfed  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 6,325
se South Dakota
From what I've seen here on tman, I think Washington state (wet side, right?) is about the epicenter for spotted skunks now.. I think they are few and far between in most of the Great Plains states.


"And God said, Let us make man in our image �and let them have dominion �and all the creatures that move along the ground".
Genesis 1:26
Re: South Dakota people studying spotted skunks [Re: NonPCfed] #6792376
03/05/20 01:21 AM
03/05/20 01:21 AM
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,761
Central, SD
Law Dog Offline
trapper
Law Dog  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,761
Central, SD
Buy a farm clean it up real nice and poof the civets are gone!


Was born in a Big City Will die in the Country OK with that!

Jerry Herbst
Re: South Dakota people studying spotted skunks [Re: NonPCfed] #6792559
03/05/20 10:17 AM
03/05/20 10:17 AM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,666
Idaho, Lemhi County
G
Gulo Offline
"On The Other Hand"
Gulo  Offline
"On The Other Hand"
G

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,666
Idaho, Lemhi County
The western spotted skunk and the eastern spotted skunk are two different critters, and transplants from Washington wouldn't work very well. Back in the 60s they were all lumped together, then a researcher at the Univ of Idaho (I believe) found that the western form had delayed implantation while the eastern form did not. Makes it basically impossible for them the interbreed because they have different breeding seasons. Therefore, the species was split into Spilogale putorius (eastern) and Spilogale gracilis (western). Even though they look pretty much alike, they are different critters.

Jack


Re: South Dakota people studying spotted skunks [Re: NonPCfed] #6792572
03/05/20 10:42 AM
03/05/20 10:42 AM
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,761
Central, SD
Law Dog Offline
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Law Dog  Offline
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,761
Central, SD
Just pick them up and rub them together like your starting a fire while yelling breed suckers breed! J/K

That is why I was so ticked because we have a workable population that still could be relocated back to its original habitat without damaging what we have now that can handle some trapping pressure. My area is recovering from distemper a few years back but is stable so I don’t go after them now until they become better established, had we moved civets when they were booming we would of been further ahead now maybe.

Last edited by Law Dog; 03/05/20 10:43 AM.

Was born in a Big City Will die in the Country OK with that!

Jerry Herbst
Re: South Dakota people studying spotted skunks [Re: NonPCfed] #6792574
03/05/20 10:46 AM
03/05/20 10:46 AM
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,761
Central, SD
Law Dog Offline
trapper
Law Dog  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,761
Central, SD
There must be some wildlife areas, State parks or nature centers that the could be established in with useable habitat to get the ball rolling.


Was born in a Big City Will die in the Country OK with that!

Jerry Herbst
Re: South Dakota people studying spotted skunks [Re: NonPCfed] #6792581
03/05/20 10:56 AM
03/05/20 10:56 AM
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 34
GA
G
Ghost14 Offline
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Ghost14  Offline
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G

Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 34
GA
I wouldn’t get to excited, they’ve been doing spotted skunk research here in North Georgia and Western North Carolina for a couple years now. The biologists have ask for permission to access public land across several private properties for camera traps and other research related ideas they waste money on.

Re: South Dakota people studying spotted skunks [Re: NonPCfed] #6792587
03/05/20 11:06 AM
03/05/20 11:06 AM
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,761
Central, SD
Law Dog Offline
trapper
Law Dog  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,761
Central, SD
They locate them on cameras then put in trapping time they are not tough to catch just to locate plus the civets seem to be more social then the striped skunks and group up it’s not uncommon to find several at the same locations.

Most of the work being done that I hear about is done by collage student and University’s not the Game Depts directly so time and money is not big factor there.


Was born in a Big City Will die in the Country OK with that!

Jerry Herbst
Re: South Dakota people studying spotted skunks [Re: NonPCfed] #6792596
03/05/20 11:19 AM
03/05/20 11:19 AM
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 815
Nebraska
1crazytrapper Offline
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1crazytrapper  Offline
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 815
Nebraska
Thanks for caring. Imo they are about extinct in Ne. I havent seen or caught one since the early 80's. Like law dog said, they were always around messy farms, that had lots of cover and junk piles.


Member of NFH and NRA
Re: South Dakota people studying spotted skunks [Re: NonPCfed] #6792598
03/05/20 11:21 AM
03/05/20 11:21 AM
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 203
SE Montana
B
BigSky Offline
trapper
BigSky  Offline
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B

Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 203
SE Montana
Personally I would be cautious in helping any biologist or college. Here's how some would like to see it go:
A - study an animal you know nothing about for a few years
B - find less than you think there should be
C - lobby to get them enlisted as endangered
D - outlaw trapping to prevent accidental catches

We lose and they win.

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